Permian Paleogeography of Arctic: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Distribution of lands and seas throughout the Arctic during the Permian resulted from earlier Paleozoic tectonic events. In the Pacific region, restricted marine connections with the Tethyan realm provided access for a limited number of warmer water animals, but the boreal faunal assemblages are generally distinct and relatively limited in number of genera. Permian geography was dominated by 3 large land areas: Fennoscandia, central and southern Siberia (Angaraland), and Canada. Several smaller landmasses were present in China, the Seward-Chukotskiy region, northern and eastern Siberia, and north of present Alaska. Coal deposits and strata bearing land plants covered a large area in central Siberia; saline basins with redbeds developed in the Zechstein, Pechora, Perm, Canadian, and West Texas basins as the seas withdrew, generally in the later Permian. Eugeosynclinal troughs extended along the Pacific borders and apparently were limited to those regions. Volcanism accompanied deposition of predominantly clastic sediments in many parts of the eugeosynclines. Platform and miogeosynclinal deposits, dominated by carbonate rocks, preceded saline deposition in the basins and persisted on shallow shelves adjacent to the geosynclines. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2478------------